HomeMy WebLinkAboutBryan-College Interurban Marker Application
APPLICATION FOR A TEXAS STATE HISTORIC SUBJECT MARKER
FOR THE BRYAN ~ COLLEGE INTERURBAN RAILWAY
introduction
The 6ryan and Coiiege interurban Railway began service in t 9 i 0 arlu operated
passenger trolleys until i 923 between the city of Bryan and what, was then called the
Texas .Agricultural & Mechanical Co!iege. During that period the BCi pro~'ided an
in~porta;~t link betwee~i $ryar and the college five miles distant tr~zich permitted students
and faculty to live in Bryan thus easing pressure on the limited college housing fiaci!ities.
tt also enhanced public mobility. generally benefitted the growth of Bryan businesses,
and was a signif!cant factor in stimu~ating development along the right o` way These
factors influenced the tore communities to grow together and determined the !~nea~r path
that this development took.
Creation of the Bryan 8~ College Interurban Railway
On Gctober 7. 1909 the Evy:~;~ G~a~i~;, ~a~a~'~ ~r~~'Fi/~~ pub!i;hed a "Special Trolley
Edition" which announced to the community that at a meeting of the Rttai! 1~1erchants,
associatio~~ a committee had beer: formea to ma<e plans for an interur~an railway line to
connect the city and the Coiiege Tre committee. chaired by Ed Hal! president of the
First State Sank a,,w Tr;~st ro.. ~~vas coMposed cif promirl2r`~t citizens: A. "r'. ~'~aldrop.
Major L. L. ~~ cinr•,,s. A. '~a' 4'~ilkerscr~ and `'V' E. Jaunder5 Mayor ~. T Maloney of 6ryan
was a strong proponent of the scheme: and he offered to form a stock company if
$10.000 could be rased for the project in Bryan. !t has been speculated that Mayor
I~^a'oney r~aa engaged ire extensive pr,;r r:egotiatior,s with 0. E. Gammill, of Caudc,
Gkla`roma. the builder and late.. dir~Ci;;r of the interurban. since the target date for thz
startup of service late ? y; u would r,ot nav? been rea!stic if arrangements v~ere not
already •yv~!i under way Moreover h"a!oney had a backarounu as a promoter anh
de~Jeloper an.4 had ~=:perience in `rar;sportaticn having for^~Fr!y been emp!eyed by the
t;'it>rrna;ICrlai "& vr'eat IYorti~CCl~ ~a:lr'Ga~3 ~i Fs~ v ~J}. in addi'ivt. tt~ the bo;t,JS ar, aGwltiCna!
:T:?.~~v In Int?rC1rp~"1 S:~JCk W8S Off~•~, -~; inra; in`,egt;,,r'c 1?avor' Ma:oneV ana
U I eS T2.. L tr '~ e~•„ ~ ri ,•, ,. .. 1:,~ ^",u' to ~,a , ~ , ~. a
r{~e ~;~~` ~~~!"+^ r., a.•. .., rn:•.r~n~ C:^ r.a H_ .J :r,.,~ ,+ ,::t:+ ~+nr Cri•L ~~ f1n.~.~le;
ir-~~C~~t41..a~: ..ii; Iti •Y v' ~I~jiGi:~r` ~.~~:•~ ., .'~:I1.1 ••.u ~:i .tCY'{'•~v~E :. ~rl~i ti:lv'J, ~ J+~v..
iSSuc^ thrv^uQit the Texas na.lr~aC Cufi'~liiSSiuricr'.~
2
President Robert Teague Milner cf the College was reported as strongly in suppcrt of
the project although some faculty members objected that dormitory living was an
important component of cadet training.2
At this time Bryan had a population of 4,132 which was to grow to 6.307 in the nek~t
decade. There was a population of 757 students and faculty on the A. & M. campus.
College Avenue connected the two communities.3 in 1910 Bryan and College Station
were served by three railroad lines. The Houston and Texas Central Railroad {H & TC)
which connected to Galveston and Ft. Wa~th avas responsible for the establishment of
Bryan in 1867. The town was named Bryan after yl~iiliaril .1oei 6ryan.the owner of the
one square mile of land purchased by the railroad The coming of the railroad made
Bryan the transportation center for the area principally for the shipping of cotton. In 1900
the
& G N extended service to Bryan and later the Prlissouri Pacific Line was added.4 In
1897 a bicycle club was founded at the college for students and faculty with the purpose
of promoting biking and building a bicycle track to Bryan. This path enhanced movement
between those at the college and the town, but the difficulty the group experienced in
maintaining tt caused them to abandon their efifiorts in 1900.s
In 1910 travel in-the Bryan area was mainly by rairoad and by horse-drawn veh~cies.
This eras an era marked by rapid gro~rti~th nalonally o{ networks of int~-urba^ i~r'F:S
connecting towns and cities such as the one which already co:~nected Dallas and Ft.
Worth. These lines provided inexpensive frequent service and enabled people to gavel
from one population center to another. making these centers accessible to those in rural
locations. They were. in genera!, prir^~w ily intended for passenger service, they used
heavier gauge. faster equipment than typical c+;y streetcars. they oparated on city streets
and along Tura! highways. and thEy v~rere most commonly powered ey electricity
although gasoime or a~conol was somet!mes used as fuel E
T he firs; automob~ls o:vne:~ in 6ryan, in i 901. was a lvlr Bonevilie early a:ros were
°X~QnS1U? ana_ve~y r~ro~1e ,~ EN'eaiCOOwns. CX`ra'1 na•d no garage at ti'ta? G..le 3(id ail
r?~2(!-c ,h,~d fn hP dOr:e bV b~aCKS.^.11t~S. Th2Sc iaCtorS CaUS?Q the pU'71b?`"c nr.' ~r,ran
Q'.ito~'i~Jb~iE.~i t~ CrCiva: ut~'4tii~~ b~.i`, bj i91N "e.~.;stratio~ I~l~$ ir'~r'~iJ~r~. an~; tr? Sre~d lirn:t Of
8 n;iles an hour e; ~aotad u. 190e eras raised to i 5 mires per I"ioUi'.~ By 1910 a fe`rr organ
residents owned autos ?nd others ha;? tnpm on M-dpr e coca; roads whici~ were
alternatively muddy or sandy were gradually improved as the needs of motorists began
to become a faotor. The advent o` the interurban has been credited fcr ~ecipitating tfie
paving of College Avenue with as~,halt the first road ~rrith that surfavE in t".e states
r,
L'
In t`i'.' A'",t`+1,:.,?~Srl'! wh!~"'1 c',000'7?^ic''.'1!PCi the C".):irl!n~ !'{ ti'?C F; I i hn f-{A'4~,+it, an Off{Cer Cf
the rai~~ti'a•y. advocated tha', Bryan s~ouid plan t~` buil~ an interurban Ilnk tG every cit}~
Witflln t~llrty t1'IIiES.i~` l~it!r<iat2i}'. rile Gniy Gthcr fnterurbarl line ab'~1iC,h was bu+lt +f! t~2
area was the Bryan ~ Centrci I exas interurban Raii'~~ay whic~l Gegan se; vice ir•I `91
and Operaie~ '.intll 192(; 1"1,`12, 1' V~ca SCIw it 7r '4';,^iP,;~ S?r4'iCe i!'OTi B•rvan aC!'CS`' t`:°
r~ C .{ r t'` ^'1" ,~~ r. .. c`.;;; •- ip ^~ !^ r.i + -~~ t~ S F~ r r J ~ +1
g Z0 r!Je t, .: ; If1a, l.~ i.I:, a..; ~ u t.:2 r an;ai!u,~,~ G: .:~' B; aZC~S ~}i'J°!" lralie ~
Rou#ing and Building the BCI .
RGUtinQ Of tn2 tr0ile:y' llri2 bet`rreen Bryan ar~ld tilB YOiieC~e 1";aS Injitr?t}Ced by ~r!=„
desirability of negotiationina for right ofi way with the minimum number ofi landowners.
N'.~ch cf t!-fe lard it came to tra•Jers- i-1 tha' area was owned by Fred L. Cavil it the
!iTiriiediate college area it was to pass th;rougt' "Bayett's C^rner~" (presently the block Gf
iJniversity Drive extending to v'~eiiborn Road from Boyett2 Street) owned Dy ~'.~. C. Soyett.
who operated a grocery store serving the campus !t would also seem that the interest
and CCC~:°"Gt1Gi' Of CaV!tt. SCyet' and the Ot~';er rrop2r'y CbyrierS V.'aS a^. imp:Ort2'1~ taCtO?'
in selecting the exact route tike interurba^ was to traise,t. Cor,str:ction `r~'ork began with,
a groundbreaking ceremony January 21, i 910 on Cavitt's land twG miles seUti•I of
tCW!l.i' 1lVp!'k `NaS d!rerta!~ her (1 G Gamml!I VJI•!C later b?Came reSpCnS!b+~= fCr itS
o^~erat!or, "-ie U'cS I~tQr SUCCr'2u°~ ~S C'reC!Cr ~.y I (;~ !..e'vinSC:"i.~~ Cavitl a'^•^ Ot`ler
a~ lc::;''rrl, J S 1:. '~S C,~ d ma
i r ~n.pr•, al, «~,~ tC., ,~ ~_ 'a ~, iV~iy d~'~i `.':J~C'~ Sl.:/~~~•~t J~ r.~ fVr ~i IIC.~`. QI! ~+ .e, t~~nly.
ar1Q FC>>UiBiiG'l yrG~'~ull Cca(-iy iClOvi$q tilt iiiiei'Ur4~an rCUte 1•t
?he Grl~ina` prC°C`.ed "vUte NIaS f"C^'' C-.at~rIC,!lt Hal! Or' the CnilaQ? CamaUS nC't' ^.'
''. ~ CSc
-,~,~ faG'y !` P> ~ t ~+12^I C4:. I ! ~!1a!~.i ,. ICGc`~'Y b~i`';ICh ':J r ~~,-" r1 +~ !~r.
~,..;,.. „crr.,.' to r~ha is c~.l u rit; ! +~ as e... ~ eu ~~.:., . maps
as "Car ~in2 " At the intersect!Gil of Burna+t (~cr ~igiri) Av2ni:e'~ t^e IitlE W?;~i nOrt`i aiCi;_y
CC`i}eg= ~ Q!' !`J211?S? I rle nGrii~rrl"I Slnrtlnn of ~^%hat vas trlen C~:~iieq? IS t~Ow I e}'SS
a've .,;2 ~Cr~ E~US!i:eSS F?~S+w,_ F' ' F;e !'~° t:'.°'1 t~rrl~?1 4Veat On B+wrieSG'' 10r 27`"'' Jtreetl
~rW r°S'.. '~i2w .C r~Cr~~•,'~/'~? .; ~.. .., .~ ~ .. ~ '.-~.~.. ~T'~L~:-r . ~,•~~r,• ^irppF,. ,, + ~~
iC:;a,ed a "r.."'~t^.2r SGr1 jiI eBi rv~ Ilw flldrKCV t!'I? tCr~il~ iva G' tli2 III I= I hC ,aria . .. ". ,^, t"' `s;a
~ I LG;i ;L7 11
I;10 t p •ie
I C k, nd'vVeSt'v'i~. a a%'LS: i'l= r-+ ?.k . '' ~;;~~ ;•~ wl?,t` ~,tr2et tJ~Jt t 'a; !1:v2~ Cc"~'It=
1 L;
G4.a.
`~~v .l ~. l.:i J iG.';I Y,v~. .~ ~ ,.IC I'. r~ r~iGb .. ... ~. ~ .''r G.. ~~^~, ~~'1 .~..~ i,. .il ... v~;4l ~4, .,~~ , J. ~.
~irc°, ~J?l l.~OWei~ I; ''.irl~2:` a~ t.~, i:,~nar ~n s,. rar., ~ ~ n -,-
t Si iS~., . :~ , w? li Gr.h tC F'rct'lKl~!"i iCd- GG+-iG
Stree}~. [_ ~„ 41~ r +a of..~.~ a .~.. ..N;.a .L Il~r a
f .'0 I~ 1 ? e F ~...Ir Li:., AC?,_,c^-y Cn RGnrl?'d!il? F:C,~.v r.~,r
:Jr vuiillC~.jarld tF'rlliii~wte~i at tiiC. LiiJui;r;e r1~..a~p.:ii f. r~it trlC s.a~,,;t~'~-r Cn~ 4f }~'v !'~'~ !' `.~7'~
2Xi2nd2Q acrGSS tie Calila~iS iG tiic wYiii il2iu''~
The BCi Begins Service
Tne first gasoline-powered car arrived by railroad or !~1ay 2~ 1910 and it was scheduicc,
to go into service the next day t~ The remaining three cars were added Eater and when
ser'v'ice got under way it consisted of ten thirty'-minute taps per day in each direction,. By
1912 the schedule consisted o eleven daily trips and nine on S~:ndays tq
After twa years of operation some coi~lplaints arose over "very irreau!ar and
unsatisfactory" service. The cars which hac.; been mariufact,~red in Prlichigan had tc~ be
sent back to the factory when they required servicing. Fres+dent Milner of Texas A. ~ M.,
ca;led a meeting and stated that he recommended electrifying the system. He estimated
that it would cost $22.000 to purchase arld install the necessary equ+pment including two
new "pay-as-you-enter" cars. The financial report for the previous two years sho~~,ed it to
be a "very profitable investment." and he urged campus residents to subscribe to
$11.000 to stock.2~ This was followed by a notice placed in the Eagle signed by J. T.
Maloney indicating the intention, of the drecters to increase the capita! stock from
$20,000 to $0,000 to underwrite this work.ar,d to extend the (ine at both ends.~~
!n 1917 according to the Eagla service seemed to be satisfactory since a report of a BC.
stockholders' meeting ind+cated that thej exaected that withr: a year the Gne would have
paid off a!! !ts 4!~ det'itS a^d `;,~ ;,CS'c ~,f + .:'JementS V,IhICh had beQ *" Ze:~ ~ the
"',~ ,~ n au~.+ori y
City of Bryan. The Board cf Directors consisted of i0ca! p7r GTllnent b2r ~kerS. attorneys
and merchants. S. S. Hunter was president and others on the Bard were W. c.
Saunders, J. w, Coremus. L. L. McInnis. H. 0. Boatwright. A. w Wilkerson. W. H. Cola.
M. '~ James. John ~^. Lawrence. and ? . M. Levinso^. It also stated that the Country Club
~r;as planning to build a concrete walk across Delwood nark to link up with the
interurban 2~ DeUwood Faric had been created at the time the line was built to ~t'ovide
an attraction a'ong the ro~ite
A+; ir-Itimation of problems occurs in a. caa/~~ +tem wFlic~-I appeared tha hex'' year. ;t 'w'as
State~~ that compialnts ~>"~ere ra!sea at the meat,~~.^ of the C~ommerciai Club that EC! freia_ ht
Gtii!'de~19S V~.'e"e Qf?en t4V0 ~a f'S !atP_ The f? :t *.`'a• •^p vC! hw~'~ ~2ulJ:'? frei0ht SerVl~~e
1i'„ (;. i~y n C.'~` CC nr +!1/ ?h r1~Ft,yi~l+ i
iN~l~l.~ vC~r"' t~: ue !ri~i ~t"a t C U;/,~.~f"•':. ~.~ NGJ"`.e!i.~ ieV'~i~~t -a..,.areri~, iF.
Yr!tn G2}!VerleS ~VvaS QUe tC1 pro;,llCn'IJ In gettmo iauJt tU t~.~lri tnC ~'r'v1~~ TI lei C 1Nas ~Ijl. a
reoort of speculat?On In Inte!'UC~an tiCCetS TO r?n,~eav th?s it was Qec!aed t0 put tiCKetS Otl
save at the Co!le~ae for ten cen?s each. f~•de ;_=its below the standard fare.23
A clear statement of the growing woes of the line appeared in 1919 when College
President William Bennett Bizzell appeared before the Commercial Club and suggested
that, in view of plans to cut the schedule on December 21 and frequent service
interruptions, a committee be created to investigate the situation and make
recommendations for greater efficiency and profitability. It was stated that the main
problems were labor difficulties and competition from the jitney and car-hire services
which had begun operating.' No mention was made of the growth of the use of private
automobiles, Nonetheless, that has to be considered as a factor in the decline of the
Bryan interurban just as it was a leading cause of the nationwide decline in patronage of
interurban lines as a means of transportation between to`NnS.25 By 1919 929
automobiles were registered in Bryan 2E
In August of 1922 a headline in the Eag/e announced that the BCI had gone into
receivership. Louisiana bondholders had petitioned in Houston federal court. and Judge
Duval V~dest had appointed I C. Griffith, Assistant Cashier of the National Bank of
Commerce, receiver. Griffith subsequently filed a $15,000 bond and admitted the
accura~~y of charges filed by J. D. Wilkinson of Shreveport acting as trustee for the estate
of S. S. Hunter who had owned aN of the $100.000 issue of bonds floated in 1910. The
bonds were to bear 6% interest and a total cf $49,44 in interest was unpaid for 1921
and 1922. Subsequently Griffith placed a notice to creditors to file claims, and the
Chamber of Commerce set up two committees to study and report on the condition of the
interurban. 27
On April 10. 1923 the BCI was sold at auction from the steps of the Courthouse to the
S. S. Hunter estate for $40,000, and the work of tearing up the track commenced.2~ The
last recorded trip of the Interurban occurred on April i 3. 1923. Se~~~en years later
Eugene edge. President of the Bryan College Traction Company announced the sale of
steel and overhead wiring and equipment to Crandall & Perry. Inc, of Dallas for $6.500.
The Traction Company which operated a bus service in Bryan and to th? Calle~e had
evidently come into possession of many of the assets of BCI. They retained the
franchise right of wGy, real es±ate a ~d business aid office equipmer;+.. ~''
CQTIC~USIQt1
The BCi only operated fur thirteen years,. but it had a significant effect on the ultimate
direction of development of &yan and College Station and provided the first tangible
indication of what was to become a binary social system. Although Bryan and College
Station, which was incorporated in 1938, are independent political entities today they
merge indistinguishably. Only the town boundary signs clearly mark the transition from
one to the other, There is no question that having this line also stimulated commerce
and provided mobility for the citizens of Bryan and the residents of the Texas A. ~ M.
campus until it was superseded by other means of transportation. The memory of the
Interurban is preserved for today's residents by buses serving both cities which are
designed to look like the old trolleys.
7
Endnotes
1t~~iar~FnnRi',rardf'deryh~~ll,"Br~n&Cullegelnterurbar~Rcil+,rrxy:HistoricelPerspecti'~ie onlt.sUe+ielaprr~ent,
4~.,r~rr=hip, ar~d Divposition" (Paper~~rritkFn in fulfillrnFnk of t~Aasker of cuitUwil ~aeographyUegreF, t 3r?) 59-
40.
2 &;t~a",~~,,J,-~'F~,~ ear-rd Fx~a', 10-?-19 09.
3rAar~h~Jl, ~cl Ra;i~y, 2-~.
4.! B H~.irr~phre';r~,"Earl;iHi:;kor;~oftheStreekS'/skemofBrran,Te7rr.N,"(Ps.perpreparedforProfessorc..J.
~it'.C.?~,Gep':~rttnent ofCiail En ginee;ing,Te~,&.MUniVersity, 19F~5j -E.
~Ibid,, 5.
6Jsrnes E. 'darn: r•; Jr., tr~tx>~~~ne Hcv7~c~r.~ Tfief~.~t~~G'eo,~phi•'cdTr~'is~o~!~icr~i. (tdewYorV:
Har~per,3~Ro',~, Publi4her., 1956) 332-595.
7Lois rl'~ne ~~~,41cox, "The EarlyHistory of Eryar~, Texa,~-," (ThCCesisCC sut;mitked to tPle Graduet.e `:shoal of khF
IJniver~ih;r of Teaxs f or t he Degree of Master of irks, ~ 9 J1~ UJ-4~, and Hurt~phreys, ,~l'~et' 3;I~;~Frr, 6-?,
$ &n~rC~ E.~vle~~f~ec; 5-51-t U.
gHumphrey~,, "Street Syskem;' 7, acid ~tlcax, "EarlyHistor~," 65.
1 o e.~lt•z~'ri~~i~'<<~'eo~! f9fa; 5-2-12.
11 tvist's hsl(, BCI Raii'~ray, 3 5-36.
13tviar3 hall, ECI F~~iik~ray, 1 ~.
1 ~rJternati~Ye names for ~rv'al~~ streets are indicated in parenkhese~.
1ot•Abrshall, BciRaill~~y, 19.
171bid., 21.
1s ~r7•~x.rC~ci+;l•~~~;iEa~ F'~~ 5-25-14.
191bid.,'r-1-12.
2~Did., 9-cS-t2,
211b1d , 4-7f_12
221bid,, t-3~~-1?.
25'ir;+; r: L NCa'~,'S'~~ ~ ,'4-335
2c*Aar hell, B~~! F,~ii~~;r,y, ~: .
2?c7rl••tJ'iil~~F'F~;~i'F ~i-24-22, 9-~-22,10-b-21.
2&i bid., 4-10-2:;. 5-18-2a.
29lbid,,'::-12-~=C~,s.ndPrlr.rst:111, FC1P.:,11~o'aJr,3~~,
r,
r
Bibliography
Published Sources
6aliiew, Ge~orah yr,n. ^,~!/,:,~F S'?' r T~ta ,'.'-?J.`~'`'a't~ College Station: tntagGr~
L Gc- ~ r~uJ/. f .~,.,5 ~~.
Press: 19b7.
:~ra_ s ~-::.~~;,- H,%st~; ~ Rich PaS.t -~~ra~?tFut~~z Bryan: Family History Foundation.
19°6.
Cofer. Davi.a Brooks. ed F,~ag/~~~,~ts of tha Ea./1`~ Hisr.~_~z~ ~~,~ T~kas;=t~'%?-1 ~~?,i'a_~3 ti`%G~.~an
~a.7~rs andGa,~ars College Station: Association o` Former Students. 1953.
L^12i~ ~lofi. Henry C. A Cer;I%'/iI)iai NS,c~y` v~ Tc'.~t~5.~ic~/~, U')i6'c7S'jy' ~4~%G-~,~'%O. ~ V~iS.
College station: Texas A&M Press. 1975
~. ~- P"'tan. Tha F? / - ~~~1~.-.., 4~~{~~ a%~ a;;d t^a ~~~„-r.~ura!~f~c.~ ~/~~~ E}- ,ar.
hanae. Josep.~ ,~~~ y ,... ~ y- 5
i;ood's brigade--Bryan Centennial Committee, 1902.
Vance. „lames E.. Jr . C a~iUl"%i/r7 rt%1~ f>;~i'7Z.~/1 ' Tf7? f%~S1.~7::a~ Gac's,`'~a,L~iSy' c7i
Tars^,~at,4~r. Neer York: Harper & Row. 1980.
Theses and Papers
Hu^~'phreys, J 6. 'Early H.s'ory o` tyre Stree` Sys:4n-~ of Bryan, Texas,' Prepared 10~
~rofess~r C. J. Ke2se, Department o` Ci~i; ~ng;neer-ng. Texas A&M Jniversity. ;965.
M~.rS`'.a'~. Mary Ann R;vard. "Bryan ~ College !: ~terurban Railway: tiistor~ca! Persoecti~~e
on IS Uc'vei0p,~le"it. OwrierShi~~, a'"~u ~(Sa~~Si`i0r, Pi2aared i~r Dr. Peter !. HUg" +:"'~
;~i;fii~~ient of rcquir2ments fo{ a degree of Master of Cultural Geagrapaly. Texas ~;&t:~r
l.1fi!Ve?'5~tV. I ~~
'Y • .:l ... _ ! ~,:',, ~'a „ ~ C ..~~'!'}~ ~ ....'y~ vj ~., }`CL~ -~:~~aS ~r~aJ~~'° `;f n~-fs t''i~SiJ ~.ara:~uat::
J~r~vO~ C't iil2 i;r~~~~ers~ty o` texas. i X52
~iher
v! }.~~i~ ~~::!!C' ~~1 Y'[~7%i Uc~ir ~:~u%C CSr .^'~/L31t Qi3l~ LJI:r:.li1 ~ ~G~~A~i C.7ti:.^.'
,.-~..-r.. ~.•c-.,..]"1^~. ~A-; ;~r,,,.~r. ~, 1(aiC Aga ~~r.~~~ ~, ..•{-~,n.r, 1~"fir ~~(1 1C1J~